Jim Donovan won’t come out and say it, but I think it’s pretty clear he’d still rather be athletic director at the University of Hawaii.
But since that is no longer a possibility, getting the job as athletic director at Cal State Fullerton is good for him because he grew up in the area and his parents, who are getting up in age, live nearby.
Considering everything that happened in the past several months — and the extreme likelihood that his contract at UH was not going to be renewed — Donovan landed on his feet professionally.
“I love UH and I love UH athletics,” he told me in a phone interview Thursday after he was introduced as the CSF athletic director. “But I am a Titan now.”
Whatever you think of Donovan professionally or personally, anyone who knows him knows this: He put all of his heart into his work at UH and battled some tough obstacles along the way.

6 Responses to “The former AD”

I think generally JD was liked among those in the athletic department and those in the community. He did a lot of good things while he was there but the fact he pushed for Mack and his $1M plus salary didn’t work out and led to his undoing.

I believe Jim Donovan did a tremendous job as AD despite the fact the President was trying to oust him even before the Wonder Blunder!

When June Jones left the UH at a critical time when recruiting was supposed to be in full swing, in an act to avoid too much bleeding, Coach Mac was offered the job and the salary was the same salary offered to Coach Jones in the hopes that he would stay. The salary offered to Coach Mac was more because of the urgency of the time.

When the time came for a possible extension for Coach Mac, JD was pushing for a reduction of the salary paid – I believe the sum was to be around $600-700.

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